question on Generations

TelegramSam · Post by **TelegramSam** » Tue Dec 11, 2001 5:15 pm

Which is better-Brass or nickel? The brass ones are cheaper, but are the nickel ones superior enough to shell out another 5 bucks for the set? 5 bucks is actually a lot for me. Yea, I know I'm sad. (And yes, I have succumbed to WhOA and am therefore FORCED to buy a set from thewhistleshop.com, among a few other goodies. God help us all when I try to play these things...

)

[ This Message was edited by: TelegramSam on 2001-12-15 14:28 ]

Mick Woodruff · Post by **Mick Woodruff** » Tue Dec 11, 2001 6:11 pm

I find that the brass Generations are preferable to the nickel ones, for the plain and simple reason, they don't slip out of your hands like the nickel ones do.

Mick

TelegramSam · Post by **TelegramSam** » Tue Dec 11, 2001 6:34 pm

well I'll probably get the brass ones anyhow. Why? Well I think I *might* be developing an allergy to nickel, because I had a necklace I wore for literally years, but then I had to quit wearing it because it was leaving red ichy paches on the side of my neck. I'm not sure what the necklace is made of, but my mother is very allergic to nickel and I think that might be it. I'm not sure that's what it was that bothered me, but then, I'm not in the mood to have to coat down a half-dozen whistles with clear fingernail varnish either....

[ This Message was edited by: TelegramSam on 2001-12-11 19:35 ]

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Tue Dec 11, 2001 8:47 pm

Nickel Generations have a brighter sound, probably a bit louder, too. It's rather a matter of taste--I guess I would
prefer a good nickel Gen to a good
brass one, but I have a tough time
finding good Generations at all.
I expect the nickel whistle will
be somewhat heavier, too.

AnnaDMartinez · Post by **AnnaDMartinez** » Tue Dec 11, 2001 8:51 pm

I've found brass Generations to be a bit more forgiving than the nickle ones! I've got a battered old one, that I've tweeked and butchered more than once and canabalized fipples, and I love that whistle!

_________________
Let it shine! Anna "RoaringMouse" Martinez

[ This Message was edited by: Anna Martinez on 2001-12-11 21:52 ]

Firefly · Post by **Firefly** » Wed Dec 12, 2001 4:03 am

I actually would recommend the nickel ones over the brass Generations any day. I have several excellent nickel Gens in a variety of keys, but all of the crappy Gens I own are nickel. This leads me to believe that you'll have a better chance at getting a decent quality instrument with a nickel as opposed to a brass Generation. (Although I'm sure that someone else on the board can offer a contrary example!

)

As for the durability of nickel vs. brass, well, my first pennywhistle was a nickel Generation my mother had owned and played since before the last ice age. I have also put that instrument through h-ll, and aside from some discoloration around the fingerholes (which happens to every instrument I own; my fingers eat metal) there is no sign of wear whatsoever.

~Firefly

jmssmh · Post by **jmssmh** » Wed Dec 12, 2001 7:14 am

The clear solution is to get both. Maybe instead og getting complete sets (since you probably will not play the G and F much and those keys can be played with the D and C whistles)get Bflat, C, D and Eflat in both- that is what I did.

Joe

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Wed Dec 12, 2001 10:48 am

[quote]
On 2001-12-12 05:03, Firefly wrote:
 ...all of the crappy Gens I own are nickel.

Surely you meant brass?

My local music shop (who only sell Generation whistles) put their price stickers directly on the brass bodies which discolours them, permanently, if left on too long. Brass discolours quickly with use, but if you like the beat-up look (which is growing on me at the exact same rate as my brass whistles get beat-up) they're great. I saw a kid recently whose brass whistle had great big dents in it - presumably a family heirloom, much loved & played. The nickel bodies do seem to be more robust.

Brian Lee · Post by **Brian Lee** » Wed Dec 12, 2001 11:33 am

I too prefer the nickel hands down. Literally EVERY brass Gen I've ever tried/owned sounded horrid. The nickel ons are a snap to tweak too. I believe the different color mouthpieces might have a slightly different hardness/density due to the coloring process, though I could be wrong. At any rate, the blue ones are lovely, the red ones are a pain in the tail!

Just my own experience!

B~

cj · Post by cj » Wed Dec 12, 2001 11:45 am

I too have had better luck with the nickel ones. I finally got decent C and D nickel Gens. But my Bb brass is very sweet. Those Generations--when they're bad, they screech, but when they're good, oh, they're oh so good. I'm glad I finally got to experience some decent ones.

Bretton · Post by **Bretton** » Wed Dec 12, 2001 12:14 pm

The first whistle I ever bought was a brass Generation in C. It has the old style fipple with the ridge along the bottom. It is hands-down the best cheap whistle I own and I didn't tweak it a bit.

Since then (I think I got the brass C about 6 years ago), the only good Generations I've come across have been nickle.

The Generation Folk Whistles (brass with green fipple) seems to be a bit better than the regular brass (with red fipple), but still not as good in general as nickle.

-Brett

TelegramSam · Post by **TelegramSam** » Wed Dec 12, 2001 3:12 pm

Well, my lovely mother ordered me the brass set along with a clare 2pc and (I think) an Oak for christmas. So that ends all my whistle decisions for now. I'll probably get a couple nickel ones later myself....

Brian Lee · Post by **Brian Lee** » Wed Dec 12, 2001 3:24 pm

Hey Sammy,

I'd STRONGLY reccommend a Nickel D and F when you have the chance. These two are my very favorites in the Gen. line.

They seem to have the sweetest tone of any I've played...

B~

TelegramSam · Post by **TelegramSam** » Sat Dec 15, 2001 8:56 am

Yay! my whistles came in the mail yesterday! My mom made me stick all but the Oak under the X-Mas tree, though. *pout*

I like the Oak better than my sweetone. It has a purer sound, and is better in tune. (yay, finally a C# that sounds like C# instead of C-blech!)

I played with the clare 2pc a little bit before I tossed it under the tree. It sounds okay in the first octave but kind of sketchy in the second.

I didn't have much time to fool with it then, but maybe I can fix it later. Hrm....

TelegramSam · Post by **TelegramSam** » Sat Dec 15, 2001 8:57 am

Oh, and BL, a friend of mine is going to London over the holidays, and I told her to grab a Gen D in nickel if she sees one, so I *might* get one soon...